Incandescent-lamp socket.



M. v. SMITH.

INCANDESCENT LAMP SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17.19.15-

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

i conjunction with decorative work.

MARTIN V. SMITH, OFI-IARTFORD, CONNECTICUTJ ASSIGNOR TO JAMES E. HAMILTON,

0F SIMSBURY, CONNECTICUT.

I NCANDESCENT-LAMP SOCKET.

Specification'of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 191'?.

Application filed July 17, 1915. Serial No. 40,467.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN V. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Incandescent-Lamp Sockets, of which the following is a. specification.

his invention relates to incandescent lamp sockets. IVhile an incandescent lamp socket involving my invention can be employed with advantage in many connections, it is of primary importance when used 1n A socket embodying the invention is susceptible of inexpensive manufacture, ready and easy assemblage of its parts, and can be quickly applied. The article possesses other features of novelty and advantage which with the.

foregoing will be stated at length in the following description, wherein I will set forth in detail that one of the several forms of embodiment of the'invention which I have Selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming partJ of the present specification. I do not restrict myself to this particular disclosure; I lmay depart therefrom in several respects within the scope of the invention defined by the claims following said description.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a lamp socket involving my invention, showing in section two wires in position to be clamped.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view of said lamp socket, the wires being.

also in cross section and clamped, the contacts, however, being shown 1n their re- Y tracted positions.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, the wires also being clamped and the contacts having been advanced.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of a cap member.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the main section of the body member. l

FigQ is a top plan view 0f the auxiliary section of the body member.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

As may be inferred from what has already been noted, my lamp socket is capable of general use, although itis of especial utility when employed in decorative work such as is found in signs, ballroom festooning, etc., these being merely several specific illustrations of many.

The lamp socket comprises a socket proper as 2. This socket proper I will consider as the body of the socket, as the socket in addition to receiving a lamp has instrumentalities whereby it can be clamped to conducting means usually but not necessarily consisting of two wires. The body 2 is of sectional form having the main or lamp receiving section 3 and the auxiliary or movablecontact-carrying section 4, the two parts being usually of some insulating material such as porcelain. The main section is socketed or chambered as at 5 toA receive the metal contact shell 6 which receives in it the contact shell of an incandescent lamp, the two shells as is the custom being in screw threaded connection. The shell 6 following the usual fashion may be fastened in place by screws. The two sections 3 and 4 are swiveled together fo'r turning movement. As shown the section 3 has in its lower edge the rabbet or channel 7 to rotatively receive the annular fiange 3 along the upper edge of the auxiliary section 4, the two sections being externally approximately flush. In the bottom of the main section 3 is a cavity 9, and in this cavity are mounted segmental actuators 10 and 11, being fastened to the roof of the cavity or depression 9 by pinning or otherwise. The two actuators 10 and 11 are shown as being segmental and placed oppositely, their terminals being separated so as to insulate them from each other. These actuators 10 and 11 may be of brass or other suitable conducting material, and in the present case their active surfaces are of spiral form.

The auxiliary section. 4 carries contacts as 12 and 13 shown as being of puncturing7 type, being proj ectable through the insulation of the wire by the actuators 1() and 11. The pin contacts 12 and 13 are movable through perforations 14 and 15 extending through the auxiliary section 4 and leading from the bores 16 and 17 respectively, these bores receiving for sliding movement the thimble-like metal pieces 18 and 19 respectively, the metal pins 12 and 13 being rigidly connected in some suitable manner with the closed upper ends of said thimble-like pieces 1S and 19 respectively. Encircling the contact pins 12 and 13 are coiled springs 20 and 21, the ends of the allel grooves or channels 22 and 23 in which. the conductors 24 and 25 are to be laid and subsequently clamped as will hereinafter appear. It will be assumed that the wires vare in the two grooves and that the pins 12 and 13 are in their retracted positions as shown in Fig. 2, the thimbles 18 and 19 being as will be obvious, upon the low parts of the actuators 10 and 11 respectively. By turning the main section'3 the thimbles will be caused to ride up the actuators 10 and 11 so as to move the thimbles and therefore, the pins 12 and 13 outward to project said pins through the insulation and then against the cores of the wires. As willhereinafter appear the wires are clamped in the grooves 22 and 23, while the pins 12 and 13 are being projected, and it will be understood also that the section 4 is generally held against rotation while the section 3 is being turned. The actuator 11 has an inward extension 26 terminating at its inner end in the disklike part 27 disposed solidly against and centrally of the top of the depression 9. Fitted non-rotatively in the slot 28 Iof said disk-like piece 27 is the pin 29 which also extends centrally through the section 4. This pin 29 projects into the contact shell 6 and receives within the latter the nut 30 presenting a central end contact. The actuator 10 is connected electrically with the shell 6 by the screw 31 which is one of those which holds said shell in place. It will, therefore, be clear that when the neck of a lamp has bottomed in the shell 6 and that when the central end contact of the lamp has engaged the central contact 30 and that when the contact shell of the lamp is in contact with the vcontactshell 6, the terminals of the lamp will be in electrical connection with the contacts 12 and 13. It, therefore, follows that at this time if the contacts 12 and 13 be projected against the cores or wires of the conductors 24 and 25, the lamp will be lighted.

The pin 29 extends centrally through the clamping member 32 which has grooves 33 and 34 complemental to the grooves 22 and 23 respectively, said clamping member having a projection 35 presenting a key which extends into a recess in the auxiliary section 4, the key connection providing for the proper guiding and movement of the clamping member 32 but preventing the latter from turning with respect to said section 4. It will be noted that the projection or key 35 is of practically rectangular form in cross section as shown in Fig. 6,' by reason of which the action described is possible.

`Surrounding the pin 29 between its ends is the spring 36 located in a bore 37 in the extension 35, one end of the spring bearing against the washer 38, bearing in turnl 41 coperative with a practically duplicate cam 42 on the clamping member 32. It will be assumed that` the low parts of the two cams 41 and 42 are opposite, the consequence` being that the spring 36 acting against the clamping'member 32 will hold said clamping member yieldingly inv its retracted position as shown in Fig. 1.

To connect the socket with Wires the following procedure may be adopted: Wires as 24 and 25 will be laid in the grooves 22 and 23, the clamping member 32 being in its retracted position. The cap member 39 will then be turned and the cam 41 rigid with said cap member 39 by acting against the'cam 42 rigid with the clamping member 32, will advance said clamping member, so that the wires can be received within the grooves 33 and 34 of said clamping member and thus clamped. After vthe wires are mounted and clamped, the lamp socket will be introduced into the shell 6 and the section 3 turned so as to cause the pins 12 and 13 to be projected through the insulation of the .conductors and against the cores or wires thereof.

Each of the cams 41 and 42 is of stepped tors can be regulated with precision.

What I claim is: f

1. An incandescent lamp socket comprising a body member having a main section and an auxiliary section, the auxiliary secltion being provided with contacts and the' main section having actuators of conducting materlal forcoperatmg said contacts and in electrical connection with the respective contacts and said sections being movable with respect to each other to cause the actuators to advance said contacts.

2. An incandescent lamp socket comprising a body member having a main section and an auxiliary section, the auxiliary section being provided with contacts and the main section having actuators of conducting material for operating said contacts and in electrical connection with the respective contacts, said main section being rotative with respect to the auxiliary section to cause the actuators to advance the contacts, the contacts and the actuators being in electrical connection, a contact shell, and a central end contact carried by said main section and in electrical contact respectivewith said actuators.

3. An incandescent lamp socket comprising a body member having a main section and an auxiliary section, the auxiliary section being provided with contacts and the main section having actuators of conducting material in electrical connection with the respective contacts, spring means tending constantly to maintain said contacts Within said auxiliary section, said main section being rotative with respect to the auxiliary section, and said actuators on said rotation being adapted to advance said contacts out of the auxiliary section.

4. 'An incandescent lamp socket comprising a body member having a main section and an auxiliary section, the auxiliary section being provided with contacts' normally w-ithin the same and the main section having spirally-formed conducting means in electrical connection with the respective contacts, the two sections being relatively movable and the spirally-formed means on the relative movement being adapted to move said contacts out of the auxiliary section.

5. An incandescent lamp socket comprising a body member, a clamping member cooperative With the body member, and means for advancing said clamping member into clamping relation and for automatically releasing the same when the pressure of the clamping member passes a certain point.

6. An incandescent lamp socket compris ing a body member, a clamping member, spring means for normally holding said clamping member in nonclamping relation. and means for advancing said clamping member into clamping relation.

7. An incandescent lamp socket comprising a body member, a clamping member, spring means for normally holding said clamping member in non-clamping relation, and means for advancing said clamping member into clamping relation and shaped to automatically release the clamping member when the pressure of the clamping mem` ber passes a certain point.

8. A n incandescent lamp comprising a body member having a main section and an auxiliary section, the two sections being relatively rotative, the auxiliary section being y provided with movable contacts and with means to normally hold the contacts retracted, and the main section having actuators 'for advancing the respective contacts and also having a contact shell and a central end contact in constant electrical connection respectively with said actuators, and means for clamping Wires to the body section, the contacts when advanced by the actuators being adapted to engage the respective wires.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MARTIN V. SMITH.

Witnesses: v

L. L. MARKEL,

HEATH SUTHERLAND. 

